1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for relaxing smooth muscles of a human body, and more particularly, to an apparatus for relaxing smooth muscles of a human body, which is capable of inducing relaxation of smooth muscles of a human body using an electrode probe that radiates light having a predetermined wavelength range.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A human body has three types of muscles: skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, and cardiac muscles. Among these muscles, the skeletal muscles can be moved on a human's own will under control of motor nerves. The skeletal muscles may be intentionally contracted and relaxed through a human's efforts, e.g., exercise, massage, or rest. In contrast, the cardiac muscles and the smooth muscles are under control of autonomic nerves and cannot be moved on a human's own will.
The smooth muscles and the cardiac muscles are not easily contracted and relaxed through a human's efforts. In particular, although most internal organs, such as blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, consist of smooth muscles, a human cannot supply oxygen and nutrients to these internal organs while intentionally contracting and relaxing them. The internal organs may be supplied oxygen or nutrients by inducing blood circulation by exercising all of the internal organs through hypogastric breathing, running, or the like. However, when some of the smooth muscles need to contract and relax, they are very difficult to contract and relax through such exercises. As an example of relaxation of smooth muscles, one may feel his/her body comfort and relaxed when he/she is quietly and idly laying in warm late spring or summer sunshine.
As another example, a drug may be used to relax smooth muscles so as to increase erectility. The key principle to increasing erectility is to relax the smooth muscles of a cavernous body to a maximum level so that the cavernous body can absorb a sufficient amount of blood. It has been known that the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the cavernous body is closely related to an increase in the concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or cyclic guanylate monophosphate (cGMP) in cells. Drugs, such as Viagra, which have been placed on the market, work based on this principle.
In particular, “Measurement of Ca ions in cells” written by Teruyuki Yanagisawa, etc. in Japan (“Progress in Blood Vessel Research”, Academic Publishing Company, Tokyo, 1990, pp. 277-289) discloses fluorimetry as a method of measuring the concentration of Ca2+ ions in cells, in which excited light having two wavelengths is used as seen in (e) Optical Measuring Apparatus described on page 281, lines 3-4. Specifically, excited light having two wavelengths is generated by placing a band pass filter of 340 nm and 380 nm on a rotating disk, thereby causing a change in tension forces applied to smooth muscles. Then, the concentration of cell Ca2+ ions is measured using this change. This means that the smooth muscles are relaxed at frequency bands of 340 nm and 380 nm.
Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, or the like have been used as internal medications to increase erectility by inducing relaxation of smooth muscles of a human body. Although these drugs are over-the-counter drugs, many people buy them via illegal distribution channels and are thus likely to misuse or abuse the drugs. If an anginal patient takes such a drug, his/her blood pressure may be sharply lowered and cause a risk, and may have side effects, such as headache, facial blushing, gastroenteric difficulties, nasal congestion, urinary tract infection, deterioration of sight, diarrhea, dizziness, or a skin rash.
As another example of an apparatus for relaxing smooth muscles, there is an apparatus for curing asthma using an electric stimulus, in which the asthma is cured by applying an electric stimulus to a vagus nerve that is directly related to an asthma attack so as to suppress contraction of smooth muscles surrounding the airway. That is, this apparatus is a type of apparatus that relaxes smooth muscles of a human body. This apparatus includes a small electric generator and one electrode. The electric generator is installed outside a human body, and the electrode is inserted into the skin of a side portion of a neck by which the vagus nerve passes. When an electric stimulus is applied using this apparatus, neurons that contract the airway may be deactivated, thus stopping the asthma attack.
However, an apparatus for relaxing smooth muscles, which is capable of increasing the concentration of a material that relaxes smooth muscles of a human body by using light having a predetermined wavelength range of visible light, has yet to be introduced.